Can pancakes REALLY plump up your skin?

Can pancakes REALLY plump up your skin?

  • A new generation of ‘food items’ claim to come with health or beauty benefits 
  • READ MORE: Longevity doctor, 63, who claims his body is biologically 20 YEARS younger than his age reveals the five foods he eats every day to stay forever young

A chocolate pancake that promises to give you a glowing complexion? Don’t be absurd!

Yet that’s the claim of one of the new generation of ‘food items’ that apparently come with health or beauty benefits baked in.

In the case of the pancake, it’s skin-boosting collagen. But other edibles contain herbs, vitamins or protein specifically added to give you bouncy hair or better nails, combat insomnia or boost your mood. Or that’s what they say.

As the trend-forecasters predict a boom in ‘ingestible beauty’ products, we put them to the test . . .

GLOWING SKIN PANCAKES

Pancakes that that promise to give you a glowing complexion are among a new generation of ‘food items’ claim to come with health or beauty benefits

Myvitamins Collagen Pancakes (£1.99 for 45g, lookfantastic.com)

Myvitamins Collagen Pancakes (£1.99 for 45g, lookfantastic.com)

Tucking into chocolate pancakes guilt-free for breakfast is a revelation. Low in sugar, yet high in collagen (20g per serving) and protein (25g), the pancakes are easy to make — just add milk or water, and fry with a little coconut oil.

While a little flat in texture, they are decidedly moreish. The formula promises to help boost declining levels of collagen, the essential protein we need for wrinkle-free, glowing skin and strong nails.

Results are subtle, although my skin does look slightly clearer after breakfasting on them for a week.

HAIR-BOOSTING HERB MIX

Mauli Rituals Brain & Beauty Alchemy (£39 for 100g, maulirituals.com)

Adaptogens (a blend of active ingredients in certain plants and mushrooms that may affect how your body deals with stress, anxiety and fatigue) have been prescribed by Ayurvedic doctors for hundreds of years.

Rooted in these Ayurvedic principles, Mauli Ritual’s organic herb mix is said to clear foggy minds, promote better sleep and combat lacklustre skin and brittle hair.

It’s all thanks to a list of natural ingredients including an Indian gooseberry containing 20 times the Vitamin C of an orange; potassium and folate-rich fennel; and the bibhitaki fruit, from an Indian ‘medicinal tree’, said to strengthen the immune system.

It can be sprinkled over salads, but the slightly bitter taste is best digested when added to a teaspoon of honey.

While there was no immediate change in sleep quality, after a few weeks, I did feel less tired by the day’s end.

SKIN-SMOOTHING HOT CHOCOLATE

Chollagen (£32 for 411g for members, beautypie.com)

Chollagen (£32 for 411g for members, beautypie.com)

Collagen in hot chocolate is all the rage — Superdrug and Holland & Barrett do versions.

This organic cacao powder (pictured below left) contains hydrolysed marine collagen, peptides, biotin and vitamin C — all needed for glossy hair and radiant skin. It’s versatile to use, so you can make it into a hot drink or a cold milkshake.

It’s also good to add to a cup of coffee for a mood-boosting morning mocha. Any visible results take months to see, apparently, so this seems to be one for the long haul — but it certainly made my morning coffee feel good in a whole new way.

Ancient + Brave True MCT Oil (£29 for 500ml, ancientandbrave.earth)

SLIMMING SALAD DRESSING

Ancient + Brave True MCT Oil (£29 for 500ml, ancientandbrave.earth)

It feels slightly counter-intuitive to be swallowing a spoonful of oil each day in the quest for healthy living, but this ‘clean’ version (below right), made entirely from coconuts, promises to help with brain function and weight loss by boosting the metabolism. MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) are saturated fatty acids which, rather than being stored by the body, are converted into energy production. Drizzle onto soups or salads (it’s tasteless); it did make me feel fuller for longer.

 

FRUITY BRAIN FOG LIFTER

Patchology Little Helper Energy Strips (£9.24 for six, cultbeauty.co.uk)

Patchology Little Helper Energy Strips (£9.24 for six, cultbeauty.co.uk)

With a background in medical patch technology, Patchology has developed these fruit-flavoured strips packed with potent ingredients to lift brain fog and get you over the mid-afternoon slump, says its maker.

The strips dissolve on the tongue and contain vitamin D3 and green leaf tea extract, plus 25mg of caffeine.

They certainly work fast, pepping me up with a boost of energy soon after taking one.

PERIMENOPAUSE-PROOF YOUR MUESLI

MPowder Peri-Boost, (£43 for a 15-day supply, mpowder.store)

MPowder Peri-Boost, (£43 for a 15-day supply, mpowder.store)

Designed to target the wide-ranging symptoms of perimenopause, improve skin elasticity and combat bloating, this wholefood powder contains a cocktail of goodies including pea protein, flaxseeds, ginger root and vitamins.

Add a spoonful to a smoothie or sprinkle it on muesli. I liked the subtle berry flavour and after taking it for several weeks, noticed a definite improvement in joint aches and tiredness.

Source: Read Full Article

Previous post Trans inmate to be moved to women's prison and get vaginoplasty
Next post Port bans boats from sounding horns when leaving after noise complaint